Forgotten Lands
Forgotten Lands Forgotten Lands is the third installment of the Men of the Mountains saga. It continues the adventures of Aidan Tanner, known as the Diamond, a legendary Divined warrior. The Diamond Clan venture to Strangeworld, a decimated and perilous land of Angland, where they believe the last Divine sword can be found. Unaware that Zedrak's servants are pursuing them, many battles must be won and sacrifices endured to reclaim the lost relic. Plot Chapters 1) One Day Away 2) The Capital 3) Scholar of the Swords 4) Hyde 5) The Many Day Journey 6) The Forgetten Kingdom 7) The Silver Knight 8) Duel at Dawn 9) Mind and Flesh 10) Dreadlak's First Steps 11) Desolate Wastelands 12) The Great Flooding 13) Giant's Country 14) Ironfoot 15) The Water God 16) Brawl on the Beaches 17) The Brother's Ascension 18) Across the Waves 19) The Betrayal 20) The Desperate Road 21) The Cliffs of Eden 22) The Last March 23) The Weapon That Was Forged 1) Following the events of the Lost Children, Junior and Gert are charged with guarding the Fire Sword at Dunestar which has opened its doors to the refugees of the decimated cities by the Divine Child. After having nightmares about the events of the Lost Children and his recent sinful actions, he joins his ex-partner Gert on the night watch and laments he wishes he could make a new life for himself at Dunestar with Gert by his side. Noticing the area very quiet, they find the bodies of the Dunestar guards on the nightshift and are suddenly ambushed by the Son and Daughter who have come to steal the Fire Sword. The two are cornered with Junior is severely injured; Gert tries to defend him but is killed by the Son. They spare Junior and take the Sword. 2) The gang have traveled to mysterious sandstone mountain range, Silent Peaks on the borders of the Kilmagro, the Forgotten Lands. They seek the Light, an ancient long-lost power source belonging to the Ancients (the first Mounteans of Angland) and will give them knowledge of the Water Sword. Darmain's party meet up with Aidan's at a clearing after scouting the area. Bedeling's party does not return and they grow worried. Trigger works out they are on the wrong side of the mountain to find the entrance to the Light's location and they set off to the new area. 3) After finding a small gap in the mountain, they find an underground ancient ruined city with a temple in the centre. At the centre they find a large glowing orb believed to be the Light. They are soon ambushed and surrounded by Dreaded men led by Karg. Karg presents a captured Bedeling and . Karg touches the orb in order to gain unlimited power, Bedeling brakes free and grabs it also demanding Aidan destroy the Orb with the Dark Sword. After doing so, the temple collapses and causes a tremor. The group flee the city but Bedeling falls into a chasm created by the tremor. 4) The survivors wait outside the mountain opening hoping Bedeling found a way out. Karg emerges having survived the city's fall. He begs not to be killed as he claims he is not Karg. It is soon discovered that Bedeling's Karg's mind's were swapped whilst in possession of the Orb. Bedeling fears this is permenant as the group witnessed Bedelings' body (presumably with Karg's consciousness) fall to its death. 5) The group decide to travel past the Silent Peaks and into the Forgotten Lands to where the initial lands and barren desolate wastelands. Bedeling, despite uncomfortably getting used to Kargs body, says the Orb did show him a vision of Giant's country to where he believes the Water Sword is hidden. They start to travel through Kilmagro passing many ruined towns and villages towards the farthest reaches of Kilmagro, Giant's Country. 6) They are approached in the distance by a gang of riding bandits who demand payment for wandering into their lands, after brief negotiations the bandits turn hostile and turn on the gang. Aidan uses Dark Sword to create a distraction and the gang escape. Having lost many supplies and their horses, they are condemned to continue on on foot and possibly not have enough supplies to get back. They continue of foot for days until they are pursued by the bandits again. They reach the end of the wastelands on the edge of a cliff face with only a small rope bridge allowing access over a ravine to the other side. They cross and cut the ropes to the bridge. 7) They continue on through some mountainous areas getting lost many times. They notice lumps of rocks floating in midair and argue whether they can see some mountains move. They reach dangerous pathways to which the mountain side starts shifting exposing lots of water to the path which they realize use to be a riverbed. The group get swept away by the rushing water and are separated. 8) Junior finds himself in the infirmary of Dunestar where Mina is tending to his wound. Mina, working as a physician's apprentice shows him to Gertrude's body where he breaks down in grief. He grabs his supplies and leaves the infirmary with a disgruntled Mina in tow. He expresses his wanting for revenge and vows to kill the Son. On the road he discovers Mina has been following him as she tries to reason logic to him but he only sees her as a pain. They two are soon ambushed by the Family's mercenaries. 9) At a nearby ruined tower, the two are brought before the Mother who imprison and torture both for information. After realizing her son was responsible for killing Gertrude, she expresses remorse and disappointment at her son as he was only meant to take the sword without casualties. Trying to influence a grief-stricken Junior she persuades him there is a way to revive Gertrude using the Dark Sword. She will perform the ritual if Junior recovers the Dark Sword. He is soon released by the Mother with the choice to do so. Mina escapes the tower's dungeon. 10) Aidan awakens on a bank of a land off a large river. He explores the damp misty forest next to him looking for his friends. He suddenly has to hide has towering 10ft giants start walking over him in the forest. As they sound hostile and mention his friends he has to do well to avoid them. He is soon spotted by one of them and is chased only to be saved by Ironfoot, a smaller more friendly giant. He admits he found Aidan's friends and directed them to this clearing and went looking for Aidan. As the traverse through the forest, Ironfoot explains he is part of a Giant clan who are neutral to Mounteans compared to most clans who remain hostile. He admits his clan are a smaller giant species and are routinely mocked. 11) Aidan and Ironfoot meet with the recovering others in a small clearing. Ironfoot agrees to guide them to his village in the heart of Giant's Country. Upon arriving, the Chieftain chastises Ironfoot for bringing Mounteans into their lands but remains hospitable to the group. Aidan and Bedeling explain they are looking for the Water Sword but its existense let alone its whereabouts are unknown to the giants. The Chieftain allows Ironfoot to guide them to an ancient Mountean ruin which may hold a clue to the sword's location. 12) Mina is slowly climbing the tower but must hide in the rafters of a small room. Inside the Mother is visited by Spellman who discusses the plans for the attack on Eagle Eye, and has amassed all of Zedrak's forces and will lead them to the last northern Mountean city, arriving in three days. Spellman asks why Junior was let free as he could've been used as a hostage against Bedeling. The Mother elaborates that it was always the plan to spare Junior and assassinate Gertrude. She explains Junior is the key to Zedrak's victory and that Junior is a broken man who will do anything to save himself. Mina final leaves and steals a horse and rides to Eagle Eye to warn them. 13) Ironfoot leads the group to a ruined Mountean tower. They notice that a river runs down to Ironfoot's village which provides the whole village their only water source. Bedeling finds in very unlikely that a river would grow among these lowlands and they follow the river to the source until they find on a woodland hill, the Water Sword perched in the ground covered by vines and foliage. They realise the sword is providing the water for the village. They are left with the dilemma that removing the sword would harm the Giant's village. Aidan can't bring himself to threaten the Giant's life-sake for the sword until Ironfoot removes it from the ground, expressing his desire to motivate the Giants to come out of the darkness. 14) When they arrive back at village, Ironfoot defends his actions to the Chieftain who is devastated that one of his own would risk the lives of his people to help the Mounteans. Ironfoot believes Giants need to abandon the Forgotten Lands as it is nothing but a desolate place and that Giants need to rehabilitate back to the Mountean lands. Chieftain allows them to leave on the condition that the sword be brought back to Giant's Country. Chieftain demands Ironfoot accompany them to ensure the Sword remains safe. Aidan swears he will return the sword and Ironfoot pleads that the people consider relocating after the war. On the banks of river off the Giant's forest, Ironfoot takes them to a small pier where a giant boat lays towed. They sail across the river, across the Shifting slopes (Ironfoot has to help them cross some dangerous paths) and make it back to the ravine where they cut the rope bridge. They remain stuck for a while until Bedeling uses the Water Sword to create an ice bridge across the ravine. 15) Travelling through the wastelands, they come across one of the dilapidated villages and suddenly find the bodies of the bandits who chased them days ago. They try to quickly move on until they are ambushed by the Daughter and her men. The Silver Knight and Trigger are captured and Ironfoot is incapacitated. Bedeling and Aidan use the powers of the swords to obliterate the Daughter's mercenaries until only she remains. She grudgingly surrenders. They interrogate her and learn she and her Brother were sent to retrieve the swords. They tie her up and travel across the wastelands following the tracks until they find the Silver Knight tied to a tree. After freeing him he reveals the Son is close and left him behind to leave a message. He wants to trade Trigger for his sister at a designated meeting spot. 16) They soon see a smoke trail to which they believe thats the signal for the meeting. They arrive to find the smoke pile outside a cave. They venture in to a large cavern split by a chasm. The Son, his men and a bound Trigger emerge from the other side of the cavern. The Son expresses disappointment at his sister for getting captured and at Aidan for wasting his time rescuing Trigger when he had the chance to leave Kilmagro. He threatens to kill Trigger on the spot if his sister is not returned. He teases Aidan that he hasn't the stomach to kill an unharmed prisoner for his friend. Aidan lays on a speech to on why he would not sink to such despair and desperation due to the love and trust in his friends. Trigger gives a nod to Aidan in admiration. Without a word the Son takes a crossbow and shoots his sister dead. He goads that Aidan no longer as a bargaining tool, that he now has the advantage. However he decides Aidan is in need of a 'lesson'. He pushes Trigger into the abyss to his death. 17) Aidan is overcome with horror after watching his friend die. The others respond with a reply of arrow fire. The Son tries to kill Aidan with the crossbow but Zara shoots the Son in the shoulder. Bedeling and Zara quickly remove Aidan from the cavern. Bedeling rallies the group saying they have no time to lament and must move quickly. He uses the Water Sword to freeze up the cavern entrance as to hinder the Son. They realise the closest Mountean city is Waleton, a habour town perched on the white cliffs on the coast. When they arrive at the town's citadel, they are welcomed by the Governor of the town. After becoming overcome with exhaustion, they warn the town that the Son and his army is coming. 18) Mina meets with Joseph and warns them about Zedrak's army marching south hitting Eagle Eye on the way. Joseph commands to his advisers to consolidate Eagle's Eye's army and send them north to meet the army while the city evacuates south to the Free Cities. He laments it is the only way of protecting the people with undoubtedly sacrificing many men to do so. Mina reunites with her family after so long. She decides to march with the Eagle army despite her mother's pleas but Mina is adamant that she is tired of running and will defend her homeland, her brother's memory and give her life to ensure her family survives. She meets Rodger at the night before the march north in the courtyard and despite not liking her ride out to war, agrees to train her. 19) The Diamond Clan make final defensive preparations of the town. With only 200 armed men, the Clan and no clue as to the size of the Family's army there is little hope. As they wait at night, lights appear in the distance and everyone begins manning the walls and looking on until enemy catapults launch fiery missiles at the town to begin the assault. Enemy soldiers begin laying siege to the town and the missiles start burning the town. A lone warrior charges at the main gates and blasts them open with the Fire Sword. The Clan and Mountean men try to defend the market square but are pushed back to the citadel. Hyde tries to kill Zara only to be defended my Ironfoot but he soon realizes Hyde is too strong for him and takes a severe beating. Bedeling intervenes, fooling Hyde with his Karg appearance enough for Ironfoot to severe Hyde's hand with Death Sword so flees in terror. 20) Aidan tries to save some townspeople but the Son arrives and kills them with Fire Sword. Aidan duels him out of revenge. Using the power of the Swords to devastating effect they prove to be evenly matched. The Silver Knight tries to help Aidan defeat the Son but is outmatched. Aidan suddenly sees a man leap from the smoke. It is Junior with a host of Mountean soldiers from Dunestar who have come to reinforce the town shifting the battle in their favour. As the battle nears its conclusion, a horn rings out and the Family's army starts to retreat. The Mother arrives to which the Son demands to know who commanded a retreat. She tells him it was his Father. Aidan tries to go after them but they disappear beyond the main gate into the night. 21) As dawn begins to arise, Aidan and the Clan lament losing Gertrude and Trigger in their woeful adventures. Bedeling tells Aidan that they have two Divine Swords against Zedrak's two and the war for the Mountains is in the balance. Bedeling notices Junior is missing and goes to look for him. Having left the Death Sword in his chamber, Aidan returns only to find Bedeling on the floor having been stabbed. He calls out for the others. Zara arrives and they discover Junior is the culprit and has stolen the Death Sword. A physician tends to Bedeling who is unconscious and discovers Junior's blade was encased in poison and that Bedeling is dying at an accelerated rate. The physician informs he does not have the skill nor the means to stopping the poison. Aidan is determined to save Bedeling by taking him to the Professor. 22) On the Northern Plains the Eagle army arrive, the men singing a song of their homeland to keep spirits high. Mina claims to Rodger she has never heard the song but if its the last she hears, it would not be so bad. They are gladdened to see many other bands of Mountean soldiers from all lands surrounding Eagle Eye have joined them on the Plains. As they form lines on the borderlands, they are suddenly stricken by the oncoming Dreaded army, with Spellman riding the Terror Lizard. The men start to fear the worst but Mina grabs a banner in one hand and marches forward continuously without looking back. After a while, with the enemy forces charging across the plains towards them, Mina stops holds the banner high up in one hand, her sword raised in the other. Fearing for her impending demise she is joyed to see the inspired Mountean men that she left behind charging head on towards the enemy. 23) Aidan and the Clan are riding along some fields just outside Oldtown. Bedeling falls off his horse and collapse onto the ground. Aidan rushes to help him back but Bedeling refuses having losing the strength in his legs. Aidan physically distraught tries to force Bedeling on as they are nearly there. Bedeling believes its too late, the poison is taking him. Bedeling wishes Aidan to take him to the cliffside so he can see the sea. Aidan drags him there and Bedeling is relieved he is dying next to a beautiful view. Bedeling says his final words and passes away in Aidan's arms. 24) The Son and Mother return to the Family's fortress where they reunite with the Father who scolds the Son for taking such actions in the war without his commands and for directly disobeying him and disrespecting the Family. He is also infuriated when he learns the Son killed the Daughter, a fact to which even the Mother is irked by. The Father demands the Fire Sword to which the Son obeys. When the Father unsheathes the sword only to realise it is a trick but not before the Son stabs the Father taunting his father's weaknesses in Zedrak's conquest, that the Family can not afford to look weak and the Family needs new leadership. The Father collapses and succumbs to his wound. The Mother swears her allegiance to her son admitting she only lives to serve the strongest of the Family. 25) They take the Fire Sword to Zedrak at his quarters. They are accompanied by a captured Junior by Hyde who has what turns out to be the Water Sword. The Mother ignores Junior's pleas to keep her end of the deal. Hyde and the Son hand Zedrak the two swords who takes them and the Earth Sword to an ancient forgery which he has spent days preparing claiming he is not ready to battle the Mounteans again until he has the Master weapon. Using ancient tools he reforges the three Divine swords into the Master Sword, a weapon (made from the Earth, Water and Fire swords) capable of beating his previous Death Sword and wiping out all of Mounteans. He shows his minions to the Portal and activates it communicating once again with the Voice which is discovered to be one of the Divine trapped in the Void. Now Zedrak has enough power in the Master Sword to shatter the wall between Angland and the Void, the Divine demand he release them but Zedrak refuses and chooses to destroy the portal instead forever dooming the other four Divine to the Void. The announces the Mounteans will be wiped off the face of Angland.